Wisdom Cries...Walk in the way of good men

Proverbs 2:20 "That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous."

Where have all the good guys gone? There's a question that has been exhausted in books, songs, blogs, internet forums, and anywhere else people are feeling the loss of a rare breed...a good man. Don't you just miss the days of real men that you could look up to as masculine role models; strong, hard men with a good heart who would do whatever it took to stand for right? Remember who used to be the "heroes"? Cowboys and soldiers all the way to superheroes and athletes inspired young fellas to grow up and be something, and they did. These guys set the pace for us.

Now, where do we look for good men? It seems everyone in the spotlight isn't worth looking at. Everyone with a public voice isn't saying anything worth listening to. We still have soldiers, and for that I am thankful. There are still a couple athletes or prominent personalities, but they are the exception. What we really need is a generation of men to rise above the current perceptions of manhood. All that is good and right and smart is crying out for some real men, some good men to step up and step out; out of the crowd and walk to the front and lead. The wisdom of God's word has a specific goal or purpose. We ought to look into it. read it, and do what it says. That's where good men come from. That is the mold that true strength and leadership is cut from. Read the word of God and follow the examples of Moses (leadership), Joshua (courage), David (character), prophets who cared enough for their land to cry out against sin and stand in the middle of social wickedness and immorality, and of course, Jesus (servant-leadership). Why is there a drought of good men? Because the Bible is no longer esteemed as the word of God. It used to be read in school and in those days a guys handshake was better than any contract. His word was trustworthy. His integrity was his most valued possession. He treated other men, the elderly, children, and ladies with respect. He honored authority in his life and he tried to set a good example for those after him. I know it sounds old-fashioned, but you know what? I have never heard anyone ever say, "I sure am glad things aren't like they used to be." Let that sink in...like they used to be. How did it used to be? It wasn't hard to find good men. Hey, let's listen to wisdom. Let's walk in the way of good men.

Boys to Men

I have mentioned how I love to be a daddy. That is only half of the truth. I also love to be a dad. Now that may sound redundant to you, but hear me out, or rather, read me out. See, I am only daddy to two people. You're onto me now, aren't you? Have you figured out that my son does not call me daddy? He calls me dad and I am totally cool with that. Truthfully, I can't remember the last time he did call me daddy. Perhaps it was around the time I realized that I am not raising children, I am raising people. I am not raising a baby boy, or a little boy. I am raising a man. My friend, if you haven't had the privilege of parenting at least one boy and one girl, let me tell you, it is different. Even though books are still being published about the lack of difference, the real life that I live has made that assertion laughable.

I am in the middle of a book, again. I am not a huge reader so I am always "in the middle" of a book. As last time, this is not a book review, nor it is an endorsement of all that the book teaches, but it has shown itself to be insightful and I think with some doctrinal discretion, you could really learn from it. Alright already, the book is Wild at Heart by John Eldredge and it is aptly titled. Through scripture, psychology, and experience, the author rebuilds the machine that once was man, a real man. I'm talking about the kind of man that we used to look up to 30, 40, 50 years ago. There is certainly a ton of stuff that could be said right here about the current state of masculinity in our society, or better stated, the lack of masculinity, but that is for another time. I am more interested in sharing how I have seen my son respond to life as we go and grow together.
                                                                                 

I have watched Ricky drive a car in Disney (here). I have watched him swell with excitement as his Uncle Steve asked, "You wanna fly it?" through a headset and handed over the controls to his airplane, a Piper Cherokee 6, a couple years ago over the hills of North Carolina. This is same uncle that Ricky loves for his practically brand new Corvette. His love for mechanical things and movement, proven by research to develop sooner and stronger in boys than girls, has driven him, no pun intended, into my stored away collection of Automobile magazines that aren't even current. I picked up the subscription from the inaugural issue in like 1986, and collected each monthly issue for the next five years. And this drive shows no sign of slowing. Right now, in fact, literally right now he is probably immersed in the latest library borrow, Need for Speed for the Wii and his latest behind the wheel experience was just two days ago on a friend's boat. Again, the question, "You wanna drive it?" In case you were wondering, here is your answer...

I guess what I want to really say here is, let your boys be boys. That's the only way they will grow to be men, real men. Right now, I am stoked at the thought of filling his life with opportunities to grow into Biblical manhood. In case you are wondering, that is the kind of man that knows what it means to be tough but not mean, strong but not pushy, brave but not stupid, sensitive but not soft, and confident but not arrogant. So we like to camp and grill and eat meat (cooked, let's not get crazy here). We enjoy shooting the bow and arrows and the rifles. But the best part, we like to spend time talking, talking about what he is thinking and what he is feeling, and that's a pretty good bit at eleven years old. Of course, where he does his best thinking and talking seems to be in the woods. Oh I love to be called "Daddy" especially when it comes from real close to me with those beautiful eyes looking up at me, but being called "Dad" has become a call back to what I feel God intended for us men, at least, that's my perspective.

Thanks to Uncle Steve for providing this photo from the day Ricky flew the plane. If you think he looks like he is having the time of his life, it's because he was.